Cigarette making machine



Feb. 9, 1937. E. CALDERIO 2,070,198

I CIGARETTE MAKING MACHINE Original Filed June 22, 1934 II Z9 mum 52 a4 Patented Feb. 9, 1937 UNITED STATES FHQE Application June 22, 1934, Serial No. 731,961 Renewed July 23, 1936 8 Claims.

My invention relates to cigarette making machines and more particularly to improvements in the type of machine disclosed in my application filed January 25, 1934, Serial Number 708,308, which is now Patent No. 2,028,897, issued Jan. 28, 1936.

In a machine of the above character it is essential that it be relatively small and compact in construction so as to be readily carried in the pocket of the user and it is the primary object of the present invention to provide a machine which is not only compact in construction but is simple and inexpensive to manufacture without sacrificing the efiiciency of the machine in operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine having a casing composed of hinged sections and guard plates at the ends of the casing having rivets integral therewith to pivotally connect the sections of the casing together, the guard plates being automatically centered with respect to the ends of the casing when the sections of the casing are in open or closed position. I

A still further object of the invention resides in the construction of the apron rollers so as to permit easy attachment of the apron thereto and fastening of the turning knobs to the ends of the roller.

Another object of the invention resides in designing the casing sections so they will be held in open and closed position through frictional contact between the interfitting lower edges of the sections.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the follow-- ing description.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. l is a side elevational view of the machine,

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same,

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a cross section taken on line d-4 of i Fig. 5 is a cross section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken on line E-6 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section taken on line 'l-'l of Fig. 2, and,

Fig. 8 is an enlarged cross section of the apron roller.

Referring to the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration, I have shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5, 5 denotes an elongated hollow casing in its entirety, which is preferably constructed of a suitable composition spring material. The casing is divided longitudinally into sections 8 and l, hingedly connected together at each end, by rivets 8, 10 extending through apertures in the overlapping ears 9, projecting laterally from the abutting side edges of the end walls it], near the bottom of the casing. The confronting faces of the ears 9 are recessed for interfitting engagement, 15 so as to lie on a plane flush with the outer end inner faces of the end walls. The lower longitudinal edges of the casing sections are curved transversely in an inward direction, the lower edge of the section 6 being offset inwardly, as 20 at H, and disposed in overlapping relation to the lower edge of section 1, to permit swinging movement of the sections with respect to each other, which movement is limited by the lower edge of section 1 abutting against the shoulder 25 12. The curved lower edges of the sections are disposed concentric to the axis of the rivets, but the radius from the center of the rivets and the point it of the lower edge of section 6 varies slightly from the radius from the center of the 30 rivet and the upper edge of section I, so that frictional contact is established between the interfitting edges of the casing sections which holds the casing in open or closed position. The upper meeting edges of the sections are slightly spaced 5 apart, as at [4, to provide a slot in the top when the casing is closed through which the cigarette paper !5 is inserted, as shown in Fig. 4.

The opposed end walls of each section near the top have alined openings IE to receive the 40 rollers l 6 which are journaled therein. The rollers are constructed of spring tubular metal, split longitudinally, as at El, to receive the ends of the apron or belt i8, which are retained in the rollers by the metal binding strips I9 clinched 45 to the ends of the apron and extending transversely thereof. One end of the rollers is flared, as at 22, to limit longitudinal movement of the rollers in one direction and the opposite end projects beyond the end walls of the casing and 50 has turning knobs 2i fitted thereon. The turning knobs 2i have recesses to receive the ends of the rollers and in the bottom of the recesses are ribs 22 which engage in the slots 23 formed in the ends of the roller, to establish positive connection between the knobs and rollers. The recesses in the knobs, which receive the ends of the split rollers, are relatively smaller in diameter than the normal diameter of the rollers, the ends of the rollers being slightly compressed to enter the recesses, whereby tight frictional engagement is established between the knobs and rollers, due to the expansion of the rollers after insertion in the recesses. The apron is constructed of suitable flexible rubberized material and is adapted to be wound on either of the rollers upon turning the knobs 2! and is of such length that it can be projected downwardly between the rollers to form a trough to receive the tobacco. The knobs are arranged at opposite ends of each roller to permit easy turning of either roller to wind the apron thereon.

The side walls of each section, intermediate its ends and at a point adjacent the rollers I6, has a spring tension member 24, formed by spaced vertical parallel slots 25 and horizontal connecting slot 26, which also serve to permit the user to see into the casing to determine on which roller the apron is wound. The upper free edge of the tension member 24 has a projecting rib 21 by means of which the tension member is pressed into frictional contact with the apron. The lower edge of easing section 1 has a downwardly projecting rib 28 intermediate its ends and when it is desired to open the casing, finger pressure is applied to rib 28, and rib 21 of tension member 24 on the casing section 6, which swings the sections apart.

To prevent tobacco from falling over the side edges of the apron and to pack the tobacco tightly in the ends of the cigarette being formed, guard plates 29 are disposed in each end of the casing adjacent the side edges of the apron. The guard plates are formed integral with the rivets 8 which permits pivotal movement of the plates. Theplates are substantially rectangular in shape and fit in recesses 39 formed in the end walls so as to be flush with the inner surface of the end walls. The lower edge of the plates is arcuate shaped and recessed, as at 3|, forming shoulders 32 and 33. The shoulder 32 is adapted to abut against the shoulder 34 extending longitudinally of the inner side wall of section 6, which is formed by oiT-setting the lower edge of section 6. The shoulder 33 has a lug 35 bent laterally therefrom adapted to move in the recess of the ear 9 of section 1 and contact with the shoulder 36, formed in the recess. When the sections of the casing are swung to an open position, the lower end of section 6 strikes the movable shoulder 33 of the guard plate 29 carrying it and its lug 35 against stationary shoulder 36 formed at the end of the recess in section 1, thereby causing the guard plates to be centered with respect to the open ends of the casing which prevent tobacco from falling over the edges of the apron and tightly pack the tobacco in the ends of the cigarette.

When making a cigarette, the device is held horizontally in the hand, with the apron l8 wound upon the roller nearest the person. Finger pres sure is applied to the rib 28 of section 1 and the rib- El formed on the tension member of section 5, which swings the sections to an open position, spreading the rollers of the sections apart. The apron stretched between the rollers is depressed to form a trough in which to place the charge of tobacco for making a cigarette. As the sections of the casing swing open the guard plates 29 at the ends of the casing adjacent the sides of the apron are automatically centered by the movement of the sections preventing the tobacco deposited in the trough from falling over the side edges of the apron and serving to tightly pack the tobacco in the ends of the cigarette being formed. The amount of tobacco placed in the trough will determine the size of the cigarette and after the proper quantity of tobacco is deposited in the trough, the cigarette paper is inserted with its long edge disposed between the tobacco and apron near the inner roller. The casing is then closed with the free edge of the cigarette paper projecting from the casing, through the space M and the knob 2| of the free roller is turned in a clockwise direction to wind the apron thereon, which draws the cigarette paper into the machine and wraps it snugly around the tobacco to form the cigarette. Before the free edge of the paper passes into the machine the edge is moistened by passing the tongue thereover which causes the edges of the paper to adhere together, when wound completely around the tobacco. In thus forming the cigarette the apron will be wound wholly upon the roller farthest from the person and by reversing the device so that the free roller is farthest from the person the machine is ready for rolling another cigarette without rewinding the apron. After the cigarette is rolled the sections of the casing are opened which draws the apron between the rollers to a horizontal position elevating the finished cigarette so that it may be easily removed from the device. A tightly or loosely rolled cigarette may be formed by regulating the tension of the apron as it is unwound from the roller, which is manually controlled by depressing the tension member into frictional contact with the apron on the roller, there being one tension member for each roller. The tension members being disposed intermediate the ends of the casing, when pressed into frictional contact with the apron, will cause a radial and axial compression of the tobacco while being rolled, thereby uniformly distributing the tobacco throughout thelength of the trough, so as to produce a perfect cigarette.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that certain changes in the shape, size and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, or scope of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:-

1. A cigarette making machine comprising a casing composed of two halves, a roller journaled in each of said halves, an apron extending between said rollers and guard plates at each end of said casing having means struck outwardly therefrom pivotally connecting the halves of said casing together.

2. A cigarette making machine comprising a casing composed of two hinged sections, a roller journaled in each of said sections, an apron extending between said rollers, and guard plates pivotally mounted at each end of said casing, lug means carried by said guard plates, said casing sections'having shoulders coacting with said lug means to center the plates between the sections when the casing is opened or closed.

3. A cigarette making machine comprising a casing composed of two hinged sections, a roller journaled in each of said sections, an apron extending between said rollers, guard plates pivotally mounted at each end of said casing each of said plates having a shoulder formed in its lower edge adapted to be engaged by the lower edge of a section of the casing to center said guard plate when the casing is opened and a lug extending from said guard plate engageable with a shoulder formed in the end wall of one section to limit the movement of said guard plate.

4. A cigarette making machine comprising a casing composed of two hinged sections, a roller journaled in each of said sections, an apron extending between said rollers, and guard plates pivotally mounted at each end of said casing, each of said plates having a shoulder formed in its lower edge adapted to be engaged by the lower edge of a section of said casing to center said guard plate when the casing is opened.

5. A cigarette machine comprising a casing composed of two hinged sections, a roller journaled in each of said sections, an apron extending between and connected to said rollers, adapted to form a trough between said rollers for the rolling of a cigarette, a guard plate pivotally connected to each end of said casing adjacent the edges of said apron and lug means carried by the guard plates for centering said guard plates with the ends of said trough when the casing is opened.

6. A cigarette making machine comprising a casing composed of two hinged sections, the lower longitudinal edges of the sections being disposed in overlapping relation, a roller journaled in each of said sections, an apron extending between and connected to said rollers and guard plates pivotally mounted at each end of said casing, each of said plates having means engageable by the lower longitudinal edge of one of the sections of said casing, when the casing is opened, to center the guard plates.

7. A cigarette making machine comprising a casing composed of two halves, a roller jourhaled in each of said halves, an apron extending between said rollers, guard plates at each end of said casing having struck out means pivotally connecting the halves of said casing together and means for swinging said guard plates to center them with the apron when the halves of said casing are opened.

8. A cigarette making machine comprising a casing composed of two halves, a roller journaled 20 in each of said halves, an apron extending between said rollers, guard plates pivotally connected to each end of said casing, means on said plates engageable by the lower edge of one o the halves of said casing for swinging the plates upon opening of the casing and means for limiting the swinging movement of said plates.

EDWARD CALDERIO. 

